In patients having hypothalamic and hyperprolactinamic amenorrhea the best treatment results are obtained when the pulsation of the natural secretion of LH-RH is simulated at intervals of 90 minutes between the individual doses of the medicament to initiate ovulation.
It is known to feed metered quantities of fluid and/or gaseous medicaments by means of devices which are driven by electric motors and which are provided with means for interchangeable programmes. A mechanically controlled device for continuous infusion of medicaments is disclosed in Austrian Pat. No. 210 558. Furthermore, German Auslegeschrift No. 1 491 747 discloses an injection device for single injection of a roentgen contrast agent, wherein the injected quantity, the rate and, if required, a time delay can be controlled by means of an electrical programme transmitter.
For performing diabetes therapy an application device is known from German Auslegeschrift No. 2 451 424 which comprises a programmable control of an electric motor for actuating a syringe over a longer time period. Another infusion device for diabetes therapy described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2 758 368 is provided with an external programming device, an electrical control means and a micro-metering unit. These two known devices operate with a long-term programme and have, if required, infusion rate switches.
Furthermore, portable infusion devices for the infusion of fluids are known which comprise a removable reservoir for the fluid and a roller-type pump as feeding and metering unit for feeding the infusion fluid from the reservoir to the discharge opening of a catheter (compare German Offenlegungsschriften DE-OS Nos. 29 20 975, 26 52 026 and 26 51 962). These known devices are for instance very small and have such low weight that they are implantable or, alternatively, can be carried on the patient's body without hindering the patient. Since they are to be used for diabetes therapy, the quantity of fluid infused is programmable in different rates and is programmable in cycles of days, the flow rates being in the order of magnitude of microliters per hour (10.sup.-6 l/h). Also, switching means for monitoring and/or connecting the volume of fluid fed from the roller-type pump to the discharge end of the catheter are provided. However, exchanging the reservoir is complicated, especially because it is difficult to position that part of the catheter or hose which cooperates with the roller-type pump between the head portion of the pump and a fixed jaw. Therefore, these known infusion devices are in the praxis not suitable for the intermittent pulsatory application of fluid medicaments, especially of fluid LH-RH medicaments.